Improvement in locomotive and other engines



J. METCALFE, E. HAMER & R. METCALFE.

LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER ENGINES. No 13 ,433 Patented Aug.1, 1876.

METERS. FHOTD-UTHDGRAHIER, WASHINGTON D c UNITED STATES PATENT orrrca JAMES METGALFE, EDWARD HAMER, AND RICHARD METGALFE, OF ABERYSVVITH,- GREAT BRITAIN.

IMPROVEMENT INLOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER ENGINES Specification forming part of Letters PatentNo. 180,488, dated August 1, 1876; application filed May 13, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that we, JAMES METOALFE, locomotive fitter, EDWARD HAMER, locomotivesuperintendent,andRIcHARDMEToALFn, locomotive fitter, all of Aberyswit-h, in the county of Cardigan, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements Applicable to Locomotive and other High-Pressure Steam- Engines for Economizing Fuel; and we, the said JAMES METCALFE, EDWARD HAMER, and RICHARD METOALFE, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereofthat is to say:

Our invention for improvements, applicable to locomotive and other high-pressure and compound steam-engines, consists of a novel mode for utilizing the exhaust steam or wastesteam by returning it to the boiler in connection with the feed-water by means of a return steam-pipe, having a bell-mouthed or ill- ,verted cone-shaped receiver, and provided with suitable catch and back-pressure valves. Our invention may be applied to either locomotive, portable or fixed boilers, or any other kind of boiler generating steam, and requirin g feed-water to be forced in under pressure by means of an injector or feed-pump.

Our invention is carried into practical operation in the following manner, when used in connection with locomotive boilers, similar arrangements being applicable to other kinds of boilers: We insert in the blast-pipe a conical or bell-mouthed receiver, which collects the exhaust steam not required for draft, and

allows it to pass through a pipe directlyinto the injector, where it meets with a stream of water from the feed-tank and steam from the boiler, and then, being partially condensed, passes with the feed-water along the feed-pipe and into the boiler. That portion of the exhaust steam which is condensed assists to increase the temperature of the feed-water, the remainder passing into the boiler as steam.

This exhaust steam also assists in working the injector, and in some cases the injector may be worked with exhaust steam, without taking steam direct from the boiler for that purpose.

In the exhaust-steam pipe, between the blast-pipe and the injector, is inserted a backpressure or catch valve, of which there may be more than one. These valves serve two distinct purposes: first, in case the engine is worked or not, if the injector, from any cause,

should cease working, it prevents the water from running into the blast-pipe and steamchest; second, it also serves to catch the exhaust at a considerable pressure. Thus, when the exhaust-port is opened the steam rushes out, and for an instant the pressure in the blast-pipe or branch pipe is approximate to that which obtains in the cylinders at the close of the stroke, and this pressure gradually diminishes, so that by allowing the catchvalve to close at a fraction of the stroke a quantity of exhaust is caught under considerable pressure. This valve may close by its own weight, and by the back pressure of the exhaust steam behind it; or by a spring, or other equivalent means; or it may be a slidevalve geared to the engines, and should, by preference, be placed as near as convenient to the slide-valve, and the box for'receiving it may be cast in one piece with the blast-pipe. And in order that our invention maybe better understood, and more easily carried into practical operation, we will now proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.

Figure l is a side -elevation, and Fig. 2 an end elevation, of the boiler and apparatus spring-catch valve ,D, the exhaust-steam pipe,. through which steam passes to the injector E. F is the feed-water pipe from injector to boiler, G, back-pressure valves 5 H, tap in exhaustpipe; K, overflow-pipe; L, hot-water pipe; pressure valves, substantially as described,

M, three-way cock; and N, supply-pipe. for the purpose specified.

Having now particularly described and as- JAMES METGALFE. certained the nature of our invention, and EDW. HAMER.

how the same may be carried into practical RICHARD METOALFE.

operation, we would have it understood that Witnesses:

what we claim is H. ELLIS HILL,

In a locomotive or other steam-engine, the 23 Southampton Buildings, combination, with the exhaust-pipe and the Chancery Lane, W. C. injector, of a return steam-pipe, having a bell- CHARLES BARLOW, mouthed 0r inverted cone-shaped receiver, 23 Southampton Buildings,

and provided with suitable catch and back- Chancery Lane, London. 

